Despite growing up on the set of the mob drama, The Sopranos, this child star felt safe thanks to the intimidating presence of a real-life gangster.
Growing up on the set of a mob drama like The Sopranos can’t be easy. You’ve got fake wise guys yelling, directors demanding more authentic anger, and craft services serving up cannolis like they’re going out of style. But for one young actor, life on set was surprisingly peaceful, mostly because nobody wanted to cross the one guy who could make their lives very, very difficult.
While Hollywood sets can be full of drama both on and off camera, this particular actor had zero horror stories about bullies, pranks, or inappropriate behavior. Not because the industry magically turned wholesome overnight, but because his unofficial bodyguard was someone you wouldn’t dare mess with, even in real life.
Turns out, having a man with a real-life criminal past as your protector has its perks. And on this legendary TV show, one cast member made sure his young co-star never had a single reason to feel unsafe.
How Tony Sirico became Robert Iler’s ultimate protector on The Sopranos
Robert Iler, the actor who played A.J. Soprano, was just a kid when he landed the role of Tony Soprano’s son on The Sopranos. But while child actors in Hollywood often have to deal with the worst of the worst, pushy adults, creepy executives, and obnoxious co-stars, he had a secret weapon. Or, more accurately, a very intimidating human shield, Tony Sirico.
Sirico, who played the hot-tempered Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri, wasn’t just a tough guy on screen. Before becoming an actor, he had actual ties to the real-life mob, complete with a criminal record that could put most fictional gangsters to shame.
According to Marca, he had been arrested 28 times and had even served time in prison. So when people saw Sirico hovering near Iler, they knew better than to even think about causing trouble. When Iler was asked about this on the podcast, Pod Yourself a Gun, he said,
Once we did the second or third episode, Tony Sirico just came over to me and said, ‘Hey, uh, if anyone ever… bothers you, or anybody says anything, you tell Uncle Tony, okay?’ And that’s how I felt in f**king school, too.
That’s probably the best perk of having a real-life tough guy in your corner. Nobody wants to be on Sirico’s bad side and for good reason. It was the kind of security detail that most child actors could only dream of.
Tony Sirico is a real-life gangster with a heart of gold
Despite his fearsome reputation, Tony Sirico wasn’t all intimidation and mobster energy, at least, not when it came to protecting Iler. He was fiercely loyal and treated the young actor like family. He even made it clear to everyone that if they messed with Iler, they’d have to answer to him. And, well… let’s just say nobody wanted to have that conversation.
In fact, Sirico was known for being one of the most loyal and principled guys on set. He famously had a rule that his character, Paulie, would never be portrayed as a rat under any circumstances. He also refused to let his character get disrespected in any way that would hurt his tough-guy image. But when it came to looking out for his young co-star, he had no rules, just unwavering protection.
For Iler, working on The Sopranos was like growing up with a personal security detail. And while many child stars have horror stories about their time in the industry, Iler can simply say, “I had Paulie Walnuts watching my back.” Talk about an offer nobody could refuse.
